Company linked to Lithuanian PM's family involved in cartel agreement

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Company linked to Lithuanian PM's family involved in cartel agreement

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The Competition Council of Lithuania has imposed fines on four companies for concluding cartel arrangements. Ministerium is among the fined enterprises. Until recently it was co-owned by the son-in-law of Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius.

The Competition Council has found that companies Ministerium, Nebūk Briedis and public enterprise TV Europe concluded a prohibited agreement while participating in a tender organised by public enterprise Road and Transport Research Institute (KTTI) for the acquisition of software development services. Company Nebūk Briedis also entered into prohibited arrangement with company Media Medis when participating in the Environment Ministry's public tender for publicity services.

According to the Competition Council, its investigation found that a number of facts - correspondence between the companies, explanations by their representatives and other uncovered circumstances - pointed to participation in cartel arrangements.

Evaldas Vaitašius, the son-in-law of Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, owned 50 percent of shares in Ministerium. After media reports accused the company of shady dealings in securing government contracts, Vaitašius sold his 50 percent of the company's shares in late September.

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Company linked to Lithuanian PM's family involved in cartel agreement

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